1879.] 163 



This season (1879) I hardly need say that everything was late, and it was not 

 till June 23rd that I again found larvse. They were feeding in the plants of thyme 

 on the same rocks, and it was curious to observe that not a larva was to be found 

 except in plants that were ci'owded with the habitations of the yellow ants. The 

 silken passage of the larva was completely mixed up with the debris of the ants' 

 nest, and the abundant ant-pupse which were brought up to the surface to be warmed, 

 by the sun. To make success a certainty, I took up two large turfs of the thyme 

 (containing, of course, plenty of ants and pupis), and planted them at home in pans. 

 Upon these the larvae fed very well, filling the whole mass of thyme with web, and 

 almost clearing it of leaves ; but although the ants must have been in danger of 

 starvation, not a single larva was ever touched by them. The larvae continued to 

 feed until the end of July, and in the course of August, a dozen beautiful moths 

 emerged. 



The larva is generally very sluggish, and difficult to disturb, but tvhen roused, 

 can move quickly enough, and in confinement is restless, and, while young, inclined 

 to wander from its food and get into trouble. It is cylindrical, and, while young, 

 dull dark grey, with slightly darker dorsal line, spots pale grey, very minute, head 

 and both plates dull black, remainder of second segment brownish. Wlien full- 

 grown, dull greenish-grey, more yellowish on the back, with narrow dorsal and 

 sub-dorsal lines dark greenish-grey ; the 3rd, 4th, and 5th segments much wrinkled 

 on the back ; head and plates still dull black. Living in a loose silken pouch or 

 purse at the end of a passage of loose silk, under a spreading plant of thyme 

 {Thymus serpyllum), and coming out at night to feed on the leaves. 



Pupa light brown, in a thin cocoon of papery-silk in the silken habitation on 

 the surface of the gi'ound. The moths emerged at about eight o'clock in the morning, 

 and were generally to be found sitting, head upwards, on a blade of fine grass, with 

 the wings wrapped closely round the body. 



The larvae of Phycis adornatella, Tr. {dilutella, Hiib.), which is common on 

 Box Hill, Durdham Downs, and many other localities on the chalk, and of P. orna- 

 tella, Schiff., which is not scarce at Folkestone and elsewhere on the South coast, 

 are hoth supposed to feed on thyme. If any one will take the trouble to hunt out 

 these larvae, and send them to either Mr. Buckler or me, it will give us particular 

 pleasure to describe and (if possible) rear them. I think there would always be 

 some indication in the way of loose aggregations of silken threads among the twigs, 

 to point out the whereabouts of the concealed larva. — Chas. G. Barrett, Pembroke : 

 Qth November, 1879. 



A Swammerdamia larva on mountain-ash. — While searching the leaves of moun- 

 tain-ash, at Richmond, for the larvae of Ne^iticula aucuparicB, I was much surprised 

 to find &ffreen Swammerdamia larva, not much unlike that of ffriseocapitella,feedirtg on 

 the leaves. Shortly after another turned up : and, on another visit later on, I found 

 one more, which I sent up to Mr. Stainton for his opinion. It proved to be new to 

 him (if not sberv&wt griseocapitella), and may turn out to be the hitherto unknown 

 larva of S. lutarea. In any case it may not be devoid of interest. — J. Sano, Dar- 

 lington : October 19th, 1879. 



The green Swammerdamia larva on mountain-ash. — The larva above-mentioned 



